Who's afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?

Do you know the story of the "Three Little Pigs?" I just love that story. The story begins with the mother pig sending her three little ones out into the world to make their fortune. The first little pig built himself a house of straw, the second little pig built a house of sticks, and the third little pig built a house of bricks.

The big, bad wolf went to the first little pig's house and knocked on the door. "Little pig, little pig, let me in," he said.

The little pig answered, "Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin."

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in," replies the wolf.

The first little pig's house of straw was not very strong, so the wolf easily blew it down and the little pig ran to safety at the second little pig's house.

The wolf went to the second little pig's house and knocked on the door. "Little pig, little pig, let me in."

The little pig answers, "Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin."

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in," replies the wolf.

The second little pig's house of sticks was not very strong, so the wolf blew it down and the two little pigs ran to their brother's house.

The wolf went to the third little pig's house and knocked on the door. "Little pig, little pig, let me in."

The little pig answers, "Not by the hair on my chinny chin chin."

"Then I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in," replies the wolf.

No matter how hard he tried, the wolf could not blow the brick house down! The wolf decided to go down the chimney, but the three little pigs had a pot of boiling water. "Yeow!" cried the wolf.

Having outsmarted the big, bad wolf, the three little pigs begin to sing:

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf
Big bad wolf, big bad wolf?
Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?
Tra la la la la

There have been many stories written about a big, bad wolf. You have probably heard about "Little Red Riding Hood," "Peter and the Wolf," and "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," but did you know that Jesus once told a story about a big, bad wolf? In the story that Jesus told, there is a good shepherd -- that's Jesus, a hired hand, a flock of sheep -- that's us, and a wolf -- that's Satan. This is the story of "The Good Shepherd."

"I am the good shepherd," Jesus said. "The good shepherd gives his life for his sheep. A hired hand will run away when he sees a wolf coming, because the sheep don't belong to him and he doesn't really care about them. When the hired hand runs away, the wolf will attack and scatter the sheep."

"I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep and my sheep know me -- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I will lay down my life for my sheep."

Jesus is the good shepherd and we are his sheep. He knows his sheep and he loves them. He will protect them when Satan tries to harm them. When we put our trust in the good shepherd, we can say, "Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?"

Heavenly Father, thank you for sending your Son to be our Good Shepherd. He gave his life for us. Help us to follow him and trust him to protect us from the evil one. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.